The MSS payload is designed to deliver an S-band service across all 28 member states of the European Union; the FSS/BSS coverage zones are Europe, Middle East and Southern Africa. The Inmarsat S – Europasat payload will offer enhanced mobile services across Europe through a hybrid network, which combines S-Band satellite services with a Complementary Ground Component (CGC) infrastructure. Inmarsat S – Europasat will serve the aviation passenger connectivity services, as well as the safety services for Public Protection & Disaster Relief (PPDR) all over Europe. The Hellas-Sat 3 payload will deliver DTH and Telecom services in its designated coverage areas, maintaining and expanding Hellas-Sat business reach with additional capacities....Built on the Spacebus 4000 C4 platform from Thales Alenia Space, Inmarsat S – Europasat / Hellas-Sat 3 will deliver a multi-beam mission in S-band and Ka-band for Inmarsat as well as a powerful Ku/Ka-Band mission of 44 Ku and 1 Ka transponders for Hellas-Sat. The satellite will weigh about 5.9 tonnes at launch and will offer payload power of about 12.3 kW. Inmarsat S – Europasat / Hellas-Sat 3 will be positioned at 39° East....

21 July 2016: Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced today that construction and associated sub-system tests of the satellite for its market-changing European Aviation Network (EAN) in-flight connectivity solution has been completed on schedule by Thales Alenia Space.

The key milestone was achieved on schedule following an extensive two-year build process in Toulouse and Cannes, France. The completed S-band payload module was shipped in early July to Thales Alenia Space’s testing center in Cannes, where satellite integration (‘mating’) was also successfully completed. The satellite is now undergoing rigorous system end-to-end testing before it is declared ready for flight in 2017....Over the coming months, Inmarsat’s new S-band satellite will be put in a thermal vacuum chamber with no pressure to simulate the space environment and cycled through extreme high and low temperatures to ensure it operates nominally. Mechanical and acoustic testing will then replicate the launch environment, followed by final phase testing to compare any shifts or variations in measurements against the initial base line. Once these tests are complete, the satellite will be prepared for launch by SpaceX at Cape Canaveral in Florida, scheduled to take place in 2017....

The delays raise the possibility that they will lose rights to some portion of the radio spectrum, but there is also the suggestion that it might go up on Falcon 9 instead of Falcon Heavy. It would be a later Falcon 9 flight (2Q 2017 vs. 1Q for FH), suggesting that that would be a back-up plan if FH has teething troubles.

This was pretty much expected, SX is behind schedule as far as their manifest is concerned.

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We have been talking to SpaceX about different options,” Inmarsat spokesman Christopher McLaughlin said. “It’s never easy to fix a launch date far in advance but as of now it appears that we can get a Falcon Heavy launch in the first quarter of 2017, or a Falcon 9 launch in the second quarter.”

This one is interesting. One of the main reasons this payload was booked on FH in the first place is that it was too heavy for DPL with F9. The fact that SX is quoting a F9 FT option for Q2 2017 might mean one of the three following things.

1. F9 FT in Q2 2017 will be able to cover this mass and still perform DPL.2. SpaceX is offering a SES-9 style campaign, with a very small possibility for successful landing to offset the delay.3. SpaceX is offering an expendable F9 launch with max performance to offset the delay.

This was pretty much expected, SX is behind schedule as far as their manifest is concerned.

Quote

We have been talking to SpaceX about different options,” Inmarsat spokesman Christopher McLaughlin said. “It’s never easy to fix a launch date far in advance but as of now it appears that we can get a Falcon Heavy launch in the first quarter of 2017, or a Falcon 9 launch in the second quarter.”

This one is interesting. One of the main reasons this payload was booked on FH in the first place is that it was too heavy for DPL with F9. The fact that SX is quoting a F9 FT option for Q2 2017 might mean one of the three following things.

1. F9 FT in Q2 2017 will be able to cover this mass and still perform DPL.2. SpaceX is offering a SES-9 style campaign, with a very small possibility for successful landing to offset the delay.3. SpaceX is offering an expendable F9 launch with max performance to offset the delay.

Option 3 - When was this contract originally signed? 2014-2015?

That is one of the great things about the F9 and it's 1st stage recovery. You have a mission that is beyond the ability to recover the booster but still within the capability of the LV if you discard 1st stage recovery. Not so long ago, every GTO launch was no go for recovery. You simply remove the landing hardware and use the LV as a full expendable vehicle. Their is no expensive investment in manufacturing of the 1st stage to make the stage recoverable and the hardware is removable. You have essentially the best of both worlds, a recoverable 1st stage that can still be launched as a expendable.

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"Look at that! If anybody ever said, "you'll be sitting in a spacecraft naked with a 134-pound backpack on your knees charging it", I'd have said "Aw, get serious". - John Young - Apollo-16

FH being delayed till sometime in 2017 and this being Q2 of 17 is tight planning. Also, if the client won't accept a reused vehicle SpaceX would have to build a fresh FH. That's a lot of metal to bend and Merlin's to build.

FH being delayed till sometime in 2017 and this being Q2 of 17 is tight planning. Also, if the client won't accept a reused vehicle SpaceX would have to build a fresh FH. That's a lot of metal to bend and Merlin's to build.

Throw it uphill with an expendable F9 FT+.

It would be good nostalgia to see an expendable launch.

This is an interesting 'feature' of the new FT version, being able to cover for FH on payloads between 5500 and 8300kg. Earlier it was mentioned that the FH would be cheaper in fully reusable mode than expendable F9, but good to have a back-up capability so payloads like EuropaSat are not lost to others. The pair of ViaSats at 6400kg fall nicely into that category.

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"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"-- SpaceX friend of mlindner

This is an interesting 'feature' of the new FT version, being able to cover for FH on payloads between 5500 and 8300kg. Earlier it was mentioned that the FH would be cheaper in fully reusable mode than expendable F9, but good to have a back-up capability so payloads like EuropaSat are not lost to others. The pair of ViaSats at 6400kg fall nicely into that category.

This. In fact I think we should expect this to become the norm. Use the stage x times then send it up in expendable mode. X would be 2 here - but will grow to 10+ as everyone gets more comfortable with reuse.

Chris Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0